Vacuum controlling device for carburetors



March 15, 1943-V A. c. GUTENBERG ErAL 2,314,141

VACUUM CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR CARBURETORS Filed April 4, 1941 INVENTORs my Y 40m, ma@

. @n c.' y BY L@ MM,

ATToRNEY Patented. Mar. 16, 1943 VACUUM CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR CARBURETORS Andrew C. Gutenberg-'and Rodger L. Brower, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application April 4, 1941, Serial No. 386,870

(Cl. IS7-153)' 2 Claims.

vide an internal combustion engine carburetorA controlling device which operates automatically to maintain the vacuum in the carburetor and manifolds as constant as possible.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum controlling device for carburetors which, during engine operation, automatically functions to insure a proper and efcient mixture of fuel and air in the carburetor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a controlling device of the character described with which any carburetor equipped internal combustion engine may be provided with a minimum of trouble and modification, and which, in its operation, requires no attention nor manipulatOl'l;

A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum controlling device for carburetors which is of very simple construction, is strong and durable, is inexpensive to manufacture and install, and is well adapted for the purpose set forth.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved vacuum controlling device for carburetors, land its parts and combinations aS set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a side view 4of a portion of an internal combustion engine showing particularly the carburetor and the intake manifold, with the improved controlling device interposed between the two;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the controlling device with portions thereof in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged inverted plan view of the controlling device with portions broken away and in section;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal 'sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

. plate member Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view only showing 55 the gates of the controlling device in fully opened position; and l Fig. 6 is a side view of the controlling device.

Referring now more particularly td the drawing there is illustrated in Fig. 1 the'par'ticular 'portions of an internal combustion engine with which the improved controlling deviceis associated, said portions including an intake manifold I9, and a carburetor II. In the exemplication shown the carburetor II is of the down-draft type, although this is not essential, vand the carburetor has associated therewith a conventional air cleaner l2.

The improved controlling device, designated generally by the numeral I3, is adapted to be interposed between the carburetor and the intake manifold. Said device includes a flat plate member I4 which is clamped between the carburetor flange I5 and the manifold flange IB by -bolts I'I. As is shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 the I4 is formed with a pair of circular openings or ports I8 and I9. Each port is controlled by a pair of complementary, semi-circular dished gates 2U, the central portions of 'the gates being recessed to provide, in each pair, a small circular port 2|. Each of said. gate elements is carried by the shank portion of a crank pin 22, all of said crank pins being journaled in spaced relation in the plate member I4. The angular ends 22 of the crank pins project laterally of a side edge of the plate member I4 and are revolubly engaged in slots in a reciprocal plate 123. Said plate 23 is slidably mounted adjacent the outer side edge of the member I4, against bosses 24, by means of bolts 25 and slots 26.

The front end of the plate member I4 has affixed thereto a bracket 25' to which is intermediately pivotally connected -a lever 26'. The outer end of sai-d lever is pivotally secure-d, as at 21, to an arm 28 which is in turn rigidly secured to the forward end of the reciprocal plate 23.

The side of the member I4, opposite the re- -ciprocal plate 23, carries a bracket 29 which supports a vacuum unit 30. This unit includes a hollow casing 3l which is internally divided by a flexible diaphragm 32. A plunger 33, slidably extending through an opening in one side of the casing 3l, has its inner end secured to one lface of the diaphragm. The outer end of the plunger carries a rod 34 which is adjustably secured to the inner end of the lever 26.

The opposite side of the casing 3l is lprovided with an integral bushing 35 into which projects a protuberance 36 aflixed to the corresponding face of the diaphragm. Said protuberance is surface of the member I4 adjacent the openings. I8

and I9.

It has long been recognized that during the operation of a motor vehicle acceleration and deceleration is at times spasmodic and sudden, and there is a tendency on the part of the operator to open the carburetor buttery valve to'o quickly and fully. Under these' conditions too` much and too rich a mixture of fuel will ,o.w

through the carburetor to the engine and al1 of vthis'fuel will not be consumed and it may choke the mechanism and furthermore cause objectionable engine knocking, besides forming a condensate on the cylinder Walls and diluting the lubricant. The present invention seeks to auto- .matically overcome and prevent these undesirable conditions in the following manner:

The carburetor controlling device is based on the principle of providing a large opening be- -tween the carburetor and the intake manifold ofthe engine when there is an adequate vacuum lin the system, and in automatically reducing or restricting this opening when there is an inadequate vacuum in the system. The inadequacy of the vacuum most frequently attains when the vehicle foot throttle is depressed too quickly whereby the carburetor butterfly valve is opened to too great an extent. Under these conditions an excess amount of fuel flows through the carburetor, or the fuel passes therethrough too rapidly to become properly atomized and mixed with air.

An internal combustion engine functions efiiciently if the mixture of air with gasoline is maintained within a range of from approximately 1.3% to approximately 3%. The pres- -ent improvement seeks to maintain as constant -as possible this mixture relationship and is undertaken through the medium of maintaining a proper vacuum within the system. The maintenance of a proper vacuum within the system beneficially affects the air and gasoline mixture by substantial control of the velocity with which the mixture passes through the carburetor. For instance, if the vfuel enters and passes through the carburetor at an established, constant velocity, it will be in the carburetor for a desired period and will take on a certain amount of air during that period. Variations in the time of passage of the fuel through the carburetor which is a-Hected b-y velocity, will vary the amount of air taken into the mixture, but by maintaining a constant velocity through a constant vacuum Athejmixture canl be Akept within the range specisure conditions are transmitted through the connection 40 into the vacuum unit casing 3| to flex the diaphragm 32 in the manner shown in full lines in Fig. 2. This movement of the diaphragm reacts on the plunger 33 and rod 34 whereby the lever 26 assumes the full line position of Fig. 2 and the plate 23, through the connections, is reciprocated rearwardly, acting on the cranks 22 to move and hold the gates 20 in closed positions. Then, there are .only the restricted openings 2| between the discharge side of the carburetor and the intake manifold for fuel mixture passage. Obviously the fuel passage through the carburetor will be decelerated and restricted and the fuel will take on more air than if its passage to the intake manifold was unrestricted.

This action will quickly correct the lack of vacuum within-the system and when the proper vacuum is established its influence, via the tube 40, will cause the diaphragm 32 to return to its unflexed position. Then the lever 26 will be automatically moved toward or to the dotted line position of Fig. 2 and the plate 23 will be reciprocated in the other direction. This movement of the plate, through the cranks 22, will swing the gates 20 toward open positions thereby enlarging the openings between the carburetor and the intake manifold. Under the latter conditions fuel may flow through the carburetor more rapidly than under the conditions previously mentioned and the mixture will be richer, but only so long as an adequate vacuum is maintained and the adequacy of the vacuum is directly related to the efficiency of the engine operation.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved vacuum controlling device for carburetors is of simple construction, operates automatically, and is well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed in the invention is:

l. A fuel flow control device for an internal combustion engine having a fuel flow duct, comprising a pair of complementary, hingedly mounted shutters variably controlling the opening through said duct, said shutters having an opening therein to provide a minimum fuel now orice, oscillatory crank members for jointly moving said shutters, a vacuum device having a flexible diaphragm therein, an engine connection extending to the vacuum device for operating it, said vacuum device having a reciprocal element connected to the diaphragm, and means for transmitting motion from said reciprocal element to the crank members.

2. A fuel flow control device for an internal combustion engine, comprising a valve block having a circular opening therein, a pair of complementary, semi-circular shutters hingedly mounted within said opening to variably control the same, there being a minimum fuel flow orifice in said shutters, oscillatory crank members movably mounted in said block and connected with said shutters for jointly moving the same, a vacuum .device adjacent the valve block and having a flexible diaphragm therein, reciprocal member connected to said diaphragm, means for transmitting engine suction and vacuum conditions to the diaphragm of said vacuum member to cause movement of said reciprocal member, and means for transmitting motion from said reciprocal element to the crank members.

ANDREW C. GUTENBERG. RODGER L. BROWER, 

